Ex-Pagcor chief, 40 others face plunder raps

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. on Monday filed plunder charges against its former chairman, Efraim Genuino, his son Erwin, daughter Sheryl and 38 other personalities before the Department of Justice.

Cristino Naguiat Jr., current Pagcor chairman, said the respondents allegedly conspired with each other in “siphoning off” about P186 million in Pagcor funds from 2003 to 2010 to Batang Iwas Droga (BIDA) Foundation, which subsequently ran in the 2010 elections as a partylist group.

“Clearly, there was a conflict of interest with how former Pagcor officials disbursed the funds to a group which later registered as a partylist group,” Naguiat told reporters before filing the complaint. Among the evidence that Pagcor presented were several checks given to BIDA.

Naguiat said Pagcor shouldered the cost of advertisements amounting to over P63 million to promote BIDA from 2008 until the elections last year.

The complaint said that Pagcor paid P14.42 million for BIDA pins, BIDA ID cards, tarpaulins and other collaterals to BIDA Production. These materials were mostly used for the BIDA caravan.

On top of that, Pagcor also paid BIDA Production P14.15 million for the event management, creative design and production of BIDA Foundation’s Maligayang Barangay, Maagang Pasko 2005 and Pinakamaligayang Barangay 2006 projects.

“The ad placements were obviously intended or designed to increase the exposure and popularity of the BIDA Foundation in time for the 2010 national elections,” Naguiat said.

Also charged with plunder and violation of the Anti-Graft Law in the 126-page complaint affidavit were former Pagcor Board Members Rafael Francisco (COO and President), Manuel Roxas, Philip Lo, Danilo Gozo, Imelda Dimaporo, Ester Laconico Feria, Susana Dumlao Vargas, and Gamaliel Cordoba who is currently the Commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Also named respondents were former Pagcor officials Jose Benedicto (Chief of Staff), Rene Figueroa (Executive Vice President), Edward King (Vice President for Corporate Communications and Services Dept), Atty. Carlos Bautista, Jr. (VP for Legal Department), Ester Hernandez (VP for Accounting), Valente Custodio (AVP for Internal Audit), Atty. Jesselyn Durante-Cuizon (Assistant Manager of Legal Department), and Erwin Genuino (Executive Assistant of Legal Deparment); and former Pagcor consultants Mario Cornista, Rodolfo Soriano, Jr., Tomas Toledo, and Emilio Marcelo.

Likewise charged were BIDA Foundation incorporators/members namely Jesus Velmonte, Cornelio Valerio, Nicanor Roxas, Michael Nisperos, Arnold Garchitorena, Angelo Tesoro, Jose Salindong, Johnny Tan, Philip Beltran, Luis Guerrero, Carol Matsuda, Olive Soriano, and Josephine Sumangil-Evangelista. Genuino’s daughter Sheryl Genuino-See, who was the first nominee of the BIDA party list, is also included in the plunder charge.

Also respondents are Manuel Nocon, Jr., Dennis Celeste, Ronald Tagayon, Adriano Velmonte, Rafael Torcuator, and Anna Maria Espiritu who were incorporators/members of BIDA Production, Wildformat and/or Pencil First. These three entities rendered creative and advertising services for BIDA who were then got heftily paid by Pagcor.

This is the third plunder complaint filed against Genuino. The first was in connection with the illegal disbursement of about P26.7 million for the production of the 2008 movie “Baler” while the second was about the anomalous release of funding assistance worth P34 million to the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association, Inc. (PASA) beginning 2007.

Originally posted at 12:34 pm | Monday, July 11, 2011